After a thorough investigation with the strut pics they do look like 1600 ones, not to cry tho cause there's still plenty of good components and theoretically they are stronger than 2.0 struts, less prone to bending at the bottom of the tube . A PR of decent triangles welded to create gussets fixes any further bending.
Hope you spray or brush paint over the welded areas, you'd be surprised how quick rust forms around the welds , great progress none the less...I was going to get cranking on my mk1 now the ute is just about done, but the daily drive Focus ST needs both front lower bushes before the wheel falls off

Hey what are you doing with the fuel filler on the body, keeping it as is or changing it to some other style? I fitted a flap door from a te cortina to my mk1 van , funny thing is the curve of the flap door is spot on to the van. I only changed it cause I knew finding a van cap was going to be to hard..
Pic here so you can think it over lol

that looks pretty decent job Marty. Great blue too, is that a metallic though. Im not game enough to spray anything above a solid at this stage.
 
Filler flap looks factory spec. I think skillwise, i'm only in year2 as a panel beater apprentice, so perhaps above my paygrade to replicate the same. Plus it would need taking the cordless grinder around somewhere and hacking one out while nobody is looking...
I was going to use one of these Aeroflow ones in the 4 door which I got from Burtons. Its laying around spare, along with the shmick aero bonnet catches, so they will both go in the van.
In the boxes of van bits, was about 3 chrome filler caps, I did not realise they are a thing, nearly as valuable as Rs steering wheels? 
Last pic of the bubbles, I promise. I found some epoxy primer and high build, so could not resist slapping some on.

Yeah the blue is a nice deep metallic .
I'll give you a small tip, if you learn to spray metallic paint before solids it'll become an easy chore . Painting metallic is similar to painting primer, it's the clear coat that's more tricky. 2pk is way harder than acrylic.
My first car respray was my mk1 escort in acrylic metallic gold/bronze , I used a CiG Easy Sprayer Hoover thing , the result was almost show quality...I had no idea what I was doing either except the words spoken by the paint shop..!!

How about this cap......
https://www.ebay.com.au/i...rid=705-154756-20017-0

martymexico
How about this cap......
https://www.ebay.com.au/i...rid=705-154756-20017-0

Look good on a bus

That made me laugh 🤣
I had one on my orange mk1 Mex replica frenched in on the C pillar as I used a Capri V6 fuel tank up behind the back seat.. if anyone says they fit, yes they do with parcel shelf refabricated , my car had turrets and they got used for the side mountings, it became a very neat install

oy!, nothing wrong with that fuel cap at all.
 
If I did not already have one, and if I was going to do Blue with white stripe aka Cobra style, that would be a goer.
I'm concerned enough that changing to the flush Aeroflow one might cause issues come rego time as it is?
 
How much do I need to keep the paintjob a lowkey color  to accomodate the other body mods and pinto  as it is?
I'm 50, I don't need magnet cars that attract attention when I just want to toottlle off to Bunnings or the boat on a Sunday morning in the van.
 
I found out today the paintshop have a 'no isocyanate' 2pack  by HiCHEM and Concept paints that is theoretically more ok to spray at home. This will open the color range up and make things more difficult to choose

Hey Deano I can send you some deep red I got mega stupid cheap last year, think I've got 24ltrs to move all in 4ltr cans. Ex GMH ve /vf apparently which was protec or Dulux 2pk.
To do a van a totally different colour inside and out, underneath etc you'll need about 8ltr . Another color from GMH I have is Tungsten , a deep silver gray metallic which will need a clear top coat , I only have 4ltrs of this tho..
I'm planning on doing the mk1 in the red .
Will PM you about arches later 👍

great position to be in Marty with the paint. I'll check out how your Escort turns out in it in 3 weeks or so once you have the topcoat on.:)
Good info about needing 4 or 8 litres. I hadnt thought of a red actually, only red car I had was an RX8, with the  suicide doors although that is a lighter straight red color.
I have a new 500ml  of the Satin Spruce(?) color bought for the 4 door, so was tossing up practicing with that on the barn doors just to get an idea. Whatever is chosen will definitely have contrast silver or white mk1 style stripes painted, to show off the arches.
The blokes at work want it painted in Nardi grey. Theres a nice Porsche color called Crayon like an grey with black in it, which would look ok of with black stripes instead, and maybe gold rims.
 
Have progressed this week, inner wheel arch tub is just about done, needs some tidying but its in and welded.
Next job is to replace the passenger door A pillar skin, which looks like 400 spotwelds to drill out then work forward to firewall and fit the larger front wheel footwell tuby things.
Will PM about the arch.